Director, People & Culture

HARBOR HEALTH; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO and 10 paid holidays

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Influence on People & Culture strategy

Job summary

Harbor Health is hiring a Director of People & Culture to lead people strategy for the Houston market and manage HR partnerships across Texas markets. You will spend time in clinics, building relationships with physicians and operations leaders, ensuring people feel supported in a growing organization.

This role reports to the Chief People Officer and shapes a People & Culture function across a state while guiding an HR team to deliver practical, judgment-driven policy and employee experience

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years managing others.
• Direct field experience partnering with business leaders, not HR from a desk.
• Strong judgment in ambiguous, high-stakes situations with clear reasoning for decisions.
• Experience partnering with physician, clinical, or operations leadership.
• Comfort interacting with executives, physicians, and frontline teammates on the same day.
• Solid working knowledge of Texas employment law and federal regulations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary People & Culture partner for the Houston market’s physician, clinical, and operations leadership.
• Be visible in clinics, building trust through direct relationships rather than distance management.
• Coach managers through difficult conversations and drive manager capability.
• Provide input on policy evolution and partner with centralized HR Operations on benefits, leaves, and compliance.
• Maintain strong knowledge of Texas employment law and federal regulations (ADA, FMLA, FLSA, Title VII, EEOC).
• Own culture and employee experience strategy for the Houston market, leading integration work during acquisitions.

Skills

HR leadership

Field HR partner

Executive presence

Texas employment law

Cross-functional collaboration

Acquisition integration

Multi-site operations

People & Culture strategy

Job description

This role is solely based out of Houston, TX and we will only be accepting candidates who live in Houston, TX or the surrounding area

POSITION OVERVIEW

Harbor Health is hiring a Director of People & Culture to lead people strategy for our Houston market and manage HR partnership across our other Texas markets (Austin, El Paso, Dallas, San Antonio).

You're joining at a pivotal moment. Harbor is growing quickly, and Houston is a key part of that growth. The person in this seat will be central to how that growth lands with our teammates. You'll spend real time in clinics, building relationships with physicians and operations leaders, and making sure people feel supported. You'll also manage an HR Employee Relations & Experience Manager covering our other Texas markets, so you'll shape how People & Culture shows up across the state.

This isn't a traditional HR role. We have policies because we need them, and we know people don't fit neatly into policies. You'll be the person managers and clinicians call when something doesn't fit the template. You'll have the judgment to know when to hold the line and when to make an exception, and you'll be able to explain the difference. You'll partner closely with the Chief People Officer, and together we'll build a People & Culture function that people actually want to work with.

POSITION DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Houston Market Partnership

Serve as the primary People & Culture partner for physician, clinical, and operations leaders in the Houston market.

Be visible and present in clinics, building trust with managers and teammates through direct relationships rather than administering HR from a distance.

Support the market through periods of growth and change, coaching managers and making sure people feel informed and supported.

Bring the Houston market perspective into company-wide People & Culture conversations.

Manage one HR Business Partner supporting Austin, El Paso, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Set the bar for how People & Culture shows up in the field: responsive, judgment-driven, close to the business.

Partner with the CPO on shared support for corporate functions.

Employee Relations & Judgment Calls

Handle complex and sensitive ER matters directly, in partnership with the CPO and legal counsel when needed.

Coach managers through hard people conversations rather than always owning them outright, and build manager capability over time.

Spot patterns across markets and bring proactive recommendations to the executive team.

Policy, Compliance & Practical Application

Provide input on policies that need to evolve, and flag when what's on paper isn't working in practice.

Partner with centralized HR Operations on benefits, leaves, accommodations, and compliance, applying policy with judgment in individual cases.

Maintain strong working knowledge of Texas employment law and federal regulations (ADA, FMLA, FLSA, Title VII, EEOC).

Culture & Employee Experience

Own culture and employee experience strategy for the Houston market in partnership with the CPO.

Lead culture integration work related to acquisitions and organizational growth.

Use stay interviews, exit interviews, and pulse data to drive real changes, not just report them.

DESIRED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years managing others
• A track record of being in the field with the business, not running HR from a desk
• Strong judgment in ambiguous, high-stakes situations, and the ability to explain your reasoning to skeptical audiences
• Direct experience partnering with physician, clinical, or operations leadership
• Comfort holding your own with executives, physicians, and front-line teammates in the same day
• Strong working knowledge of Texas employment law
• Experience in multi-site, high-growth, or post-acquisition environments
• Executive presence without corporate stiffness

Preferred

• Healthcare industry experience, particularly with clinical or physician populations
• Experience supporting an acquisition or integration
• Comfort using AI tools like Claude as everyday work accelerators

WHAT WE OFFER

• Generous PTO and 10 paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan
• A real seat at the table shaping how People & Culture works at a company trying to do healthcare differently

COMPANY OVERVIEW

At Harbor Health, we're transforming healthcare in Texas through collaboration and innovation. As a payvider, we combine comprehensive care with our own health plan to give members a more connected experience. If you're ready to do meaningful work in a place where your judgment and voice matter, we'd love to hear from you.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Harbor Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.